Superfoods That Can Help Prevent Disease

The health food community has known for a long time the benefits of certain fruits and vegetables in improving health and preventing disease. The old saying "you are what you eat" is especially true in today's world, and unfortunately, this means there are a lot of people whose bodies are not getting enough of the nutrients they need and the result of this is the tremendous rise in disease and obesity in America. Several foods that are well known for the antioxidant properties are:

Apples. According to "SuperFoods Lifestyle" author Dr. Steven Pratt, different varieties of apples have different phytonutrients, but they all have tons of antioxidants, including flavonoids and other polyphenols, and fiber.

Avocados. Avacados are packed with good fats that are excellent for your skin, eyes and brain. These fats are necessary in our diet and have been shown to lower bad cholesterol. They also contain large amounts of fiber, potassium, magnesium, folate and antioxidants up the ante.

Beans. Some are better than others, but in general, beans are packed with lean protein and fiber. They have a lot of potassium, B vitamins, and antioxidants.

Blueberries. The best of the berries, blueberries contain antioxidants like anthocyanins and other polyphenols, and carotenoids. They are low in calories, high in flavor and vitamin rich. All berries are great for antioxidants, but blueberries are the Rolls Royce of berries.

Dark chocolate. In moderation, a high quality dark chocolate is full of flavonoids, a potent antioxidant. Only dark chocolate has this, and the higher the cocoa content the better. Try to look for organic with at least 65% cocoa.

Kiwis. Who knew? Kiwis have as much potassium as bananas and as much vitamin C as citrus fruit. You can even eat the skin for antioxidants.

Oats. Oats give you fiber, protein, potassium, magnesium and other minerals, and phytonutrients, including antioxidants. Their cholesterol-lowering powers are well known, and all that fiber is also believed to help stabilize blood sugar. Oats' combination of nutrients appears to have more healthy effects than if each nutrient were consumed separately -- which seems to be true of all whole grains. And, they're inexpensive. The best way to eat oats is to soak old fashioned whole oats in cool water for about 30 minutes and eat cool without cooking. Oats prepared this way taste great with frozen or fresh berries.

Spinach. What doesn't spinach have? It's loaded with lutein (great for eyes) and many other carotenoids, which are healthful antioxidants; plus other antioxidants like coenzyme Q, in serious doses; plus several B vitamins plus C and E; plus iron and other minerals; plus betaine, a vitamin-like nutrient research suggests is good for your heart. And with almost no calories, you can eat as much as you want. Also good for similar reasons: kale, chard and other dark leafy greens.

Walnuts. All nuts have been rehabbed as good-for-you foods, for their healthy fats and micronutrients. A few go a long way, though, as they are calorie bombs. Walnuts' main claim to stardom are their omega-3 fatty acids, which fight heart disease. Other goodies: plant sterols, which lower cholesterol, and lots of antioxidants.

Yogurt. Nutritionist Jo Ann Hattner says if she could pick only two superfoods, they would be yogurt and tea, because their health-giving attributes have been known for centuries. Yogurt's claim to fame is live cultures, also called probiotics or beneficial bacteria. They are what turns milk into yogurt (but some commercial yogurts are heated to kill the cultures after they do their work, so be sure to read the label). In your gut, they fight bad bacteria, aid digestion, help metabolize food and generally tune your system up. Yogurt also is a good source of calcium and protein.

The medical community is finally starting to pick up on how beneficial whole foods can be for you. In this recent article, scientists suggest that eating watercress daily can help reduce the risk of cancer. What a surprise! Who knew that if we ate a balanced diet containing a lot of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds and drank enough pure filtered water, we could reduce our risk of cancer.